JPS61217464A - Sorting tray - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To maintain the dropping height of sheet constant at any time while to sort a large volume of sheets accurately by moving the bin tray up and down with correspondence to the stacking height of sheets while reciprocating to the right and left through an input signal to a sorting tray. CONSTITUTION:An optical signal is transmitted from a reflection photosensor 48 to the rear endface of sheet S stacked on a sheet stack tray 5a and an optical signal reflected from the endface of the sheet S is received through the sensor 48 to detect the stack height while to maintain the dropping height H between the discharge roller pair 47 and the sheet S at the optimal level for stacking the sheets S on the tray 5a while arranging by lowering the tray 5a along the grooves 4a, 4a in the sheet end receiving member 4. The tray 5 is shifted alternatively to the right and left integrally with the member 4 everytime when the starting button of copier 10 is functioned thus to accurately contain plural number of sheets S discharged onto the tray 5 while shifting the stacking position in accordance to the copying content.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention (a) Industrial Application Field The present invention relates to a tray device for sorting and stacking sheets ejected from image forming devices such as copying machines and printing machines, and more specifically relates to a tray device for sorting and stacking sheets discharged from image forming devices such as copying machines and printing machines. A tray device is used for sorting and stacking sheets by reciprocating vertically and horizontally.

(B) Conventional technology Conventionally, a tray device having a sorting function has a tray device that has a sorting function at a predetermined distance downward from a sheet discharge port that discharges sheets onto a pin tray.
It is constructed by installing a pin tray that forms an upwardly sloping surface toward the outside and is driven to move in the left-right direction, and sheets discharged from the sheet discharge port fall onto the pin tray that is being moved to the left or right. Furthermore, due to the action of gravity, the rear end of the sheet is aligned with the sheet end receiver at the rear end of the pin tray, and the sheets are sorted and stacked.

(C) Problems to be Solved by the Invention However, the sorting tray device cannot be used at the beginning when sheets are accumulated on the pin tray, and at the end when many sheets are accumulated and the stacking height becomes high, that is, at the beginning. 1st photo and 2nd one for example
For the 00th sheet, the height of the sheet falling from the sheet ejection port to the topmost sheet placed on the pin tray is significantly different.
Depending on the sheet stacking height, the ejected sheet slides on an upwardly sloped pin tray or on the topmost sheet accumulated on the pin tray, until the trailing edge of the sheet comes into contact with a member and stops. In addition, the amount of deviation in the direction perpendicular to the sheet discharge direction is different, and therefore, although the upper part of the sheets stacked on the pin tray is well aligned, there are many sheets that are irregular in the lower part.

Therefore, it has been considered that vibration-proof rubber is fixed to the member at the end of the sheet to prevent the sheet from shifting due to bounce after contacting the member, but this will only slightly reduce the degree of misalignment. However, there are still many sheets that are not aligned at the bottom of the pin tray.

It has also been considered to move the pin tray up and down according to the stacking height of the sheets, but as the stacking height increases, there is an inconvenience that the sheets cannot follow the pin tray that moves left and right due to the sheet end receiver. .

(B) Means for Solving the Problems The present invention aims to solve the above-mentioned problems, and as shown in FIG. It is characterized in that it moves up and down according to the stacking height of the sheets S stacked on the pin tray 5a, and the sheet end part is configured so that it can move in the left and right direction together with the pin tray.

(E) Function Based on the above-described configuration, when the sheets S are stacked on the pin tray 5a, the pin tray 5
a moves up and down to keep the sheet falling height constant. Further, while holding the pin tray 5a at the appropriate height, the pin tray 5a reciprocates in the left and right direction in response to an input signal to the tray device, and the required number of sheets S discharged onto the pin tray 5a are stacked at the stacking position. Sort and accumulate by shifting.

(F) Embodiment Hereinafter, an embodiment in which a sorting tray device according to the present invention is provided in the stacker section 5 of the finisher device 7 will be described in accordance with the drawings.

The finisher device 7, as shown in FIG.
The sheet inlet 9 of the copying machine 10 is aligned with the sheet discharge port 11 of the copying machine 10, and the copying machine 10 is arranged in parallel with the copying machine 10.

As shown in FIG. 4, in the finisher device 7, a sheet accumulation tray 5a constituting the stacker section 5 is disposed above the rear part of the main body 39 so as to be reciprocally driven in the vertical and horizontal directions. Further, in the main body 39 below the stacker section 5, there is an intermediate tray 6 constituting the stapling section 6.
a, and a stopper 40 supporting one end of the sheet S on the tray 6a is disposed at the front end of the intermediate tray 6a.
is rotatably arranged. Furthermore, the staple portion 6
A lower tray 41 is disposed in the lower body 39, and the sheets 1-S on the intermediate tray 6a are dropped onto the lower tray 41 by rotation of the stopper 40. Also,
A sheet inlet 9 is provided at the upper front of the finisher main body 39, and the sheet inlet 9 is connected to the copying machine 1.
It is arranged so as to be at the same height as the sheet discharge port 11 of No. 0.

A carry-in roller 42 is disposed at the sheet carry-in port 9, and an inlet deflector 43 is arranged downstream of the sheet carry-in roller 42 so as to be switchable in two directions. The sheet S is conveyed to the stacker section conveyance path 45 or to the stipple section conveyance path 46. Further, a pair of discharge rollers 47 is electrically connected to the downstream end of the stacker section conveyance path 45, and the discharge roller pair 47 is configured to transfer the conveyed sheets S to the sheet accumulation tray 5a.
to be discharged. Further, a pair of discharge rollers 49 is disposed at the downstream end of the staple portion conveyance path 46, and a lower roller 49a of the pair of discharge rollers 49 has its lower end connected to the intermediate tray 6a.
A part of the belt 50 that is in contact with is wrapped around the stopper 40, and the belt 50 rotates together with the lower roller 49a, and the sheet S discharged onto the intermediate tray 6a by the rotation of the discharge roller pair 49 is delivered to the stopper 40. Edge alignment along. Further, a stapler 51 is installed above the upper end of the intermediate tray 6a, and staples the sheets 5-5 on the intermediate tray 6a.

Further, the stacker section 5 is arranged as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2rI! As shown in J, the seat end receiver, which is reciprocated in the left and right direction in response to a signal from a control unit (not shown) in the main body 39, is a member 4.
The receiver has two parallel grooves 4a, 4a formed in the member 4 in the vertical direction. Furthermore,
Two protrusions 5b, 5b formed at the lower end of the sheet accumulating tray 5a are pushed into the grooves 4a, 4a so as to be able to move up and down, so that the sheet accumulating tray 5a receives light from a reflective photosensor 48, which will be described later. Due to the signal, the sheet end holder is moved to member 4.
It can be slidably driven in the vertical direction along the . In addition, the aircraft body 3
A reflective photosensor 48 is disposed below the pair of discharge rollers 47 of 9, facing toward the sheet stacking tray 5a, and the sensor 48 sends an optical signal to the sheets S stacked on the sheet stacking tray 5a. The sensor 48 receives a reflected signal of the optical signal.

Since this embodiment has the above configuration, the copying machine 1
The sheet s discharged from the sheet discharge port 11 of No.
is conveyed to the entrance deflector 43 by the rotation of the sheet S
When the stacker mode in which the sheets S are stacked on the sheet stacking tray 5a is selected, the entrance deflector 43 is switched to the stacker section conveyance path 45 side, the sheet S is conveyed through the stacker section conveyance path 45, and the discharge roller pair 47 rotates. The sheet is discharged onto the sheet accumulation tray 5a. At this time, an optical signal is transmitted from the reflective photosensor 48 to the rear end surface of the sheet S stacked on the sheet accumulation tray 5a, and the optical signal reflected from the end surface of the sheet S is received by the sensor 48. , the stacking height of the sheets S is detected, and based on the detection, the falling height H from the discharge roller pair 47 to the highest sheet S stacked on the sheet stacking tray 5a is determined. The sheet stacking tray 5a is placed in the grooves 4a, 4 of the member 4 so that the sheet end supports are held at a predetermined height, for example, 40 mm, which is optimal for stacking the sheets in a uniform manner.
It is lowered along a. Furthermore, each time the start button (not shown) of the copying machine 10 is turned on, the sheet stacking tray 5a and the sheet end receiver are shifted horizontally and horizontally by several centimeters alternately, together with the member 4. , a plurality of sheets S discharged onto the sheet accumulation tray 5a are stored with their stacking positions shifted for each copy content.

Further, when the stacker mode in which the sheets S are stacked and stapled is selected, the entrance deflector 43 moves the stapling section transport #! 46 side, and the sheet S is conveyed through the staple section conveyance path 46. And sheet S
is discharged onto the intermediate tray 6a by the rotation of the discharge roller pair 49 and the belt 50, and the discharged sheet S is further moved by the rotation of the lower end of the belt 50, so that the rear end of the sheet S is moved along the stopper 40. Aligned. Further, when a predetermined number of sheets S are stacked and aligned on the intermediate tray 6a, the ends thereof are stapled by the stapler 51, and the stopper 40 is further rotated, so that the stapled sheets S are stacked on the lower tray 41. It falls and is stored.

(g) As described in detail, according to the present invention, the sorter that reciprocates in the left-right direction can move the pin tray 5a up and down in accordance with the stacking height of the sheets S accumulated on the tray. With this configuration, the sheet falling height H from the discharge roller pair 47 to the highest sheet S accumulated on the pin tray 5a is maintained at a predetermined height regardless of the stacking height of the sheets S accumulated on the pin tray 5a. You can always sort sheets S accurately and sIl! In addition, the amount of sheets S sorted and stacked on the pin tray 5a can be dramatically increased. Further, if the sheet edge support is configured so that the member 4 can reciprocate in the left and right direction together with the pin tray 5a, the pin tray 5a and the sheet edge support can move in the horizontal direction together with the member 4, and the The edges of the sheets are not caught during movement, and even if the amount of sheets S loaded on the pin tray 5a increases, the sheets 1.3 can always be sorted accurately.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a side view showing a sorting tray device according to the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing how the pin tray and sheet edge receiving member are attached, FIG. 3 is a side view showing the finisher device attached to the copying machine, and FIG. 4 is a side view showing the finisher device. 4... Sheet end is a member, 5... Stacker part, 5a... Pin tray (sheet accumulation tray),
7°° finisher, 10-°' copying machine, 48... reflective photosensor, H... sheet falling height, S... sheet.

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) In a sorting tray device that reciprocates a pin tray in the left-right direction to sort and stack sheets discharged onto the pin tray, the pin tray is moved according to the stacking height of the sheets stacked on the tray. A sorting tray device characterized in that it is configured to be movable up and down. (2) The pin tray is configured to be movable up and down along a sheet edge receiving member with which the rear end of the sheets accumulated on the tray comes into contact, and the sheet edge receiving member is moved in the left and right direction together with the pin tray. The sorting tray device according to claim 1, which is configured to be able to reciprocate.